A shuttle bus driver at Simon Fraser University (SFU) has lost a court appeal regarding his termination after he stopped to compliment a traffic control worker. Robert Glen Harrison, employed by Luxury Transport, was driving a bus in April 2024 when he told a flagperson she was "unbelievably beautiful" and suggested she should be a model. This incident was detailed in a recent ruling by Justice Maegen Giltrow of the B.C. Supreme Court.

Harrison acknowledged making the comments but argued that they were not inappropriate. He claimed he intended the remark as a kind gesture to someone working in the rain. However, the flagperson reported the comment to SFU security, prompting an investigation. SFU then notified Luxury Transport about the complaint, which led to Harrison's dismissal weeks later.

While SFU did not directly request Harrison's firing, they informed Luxury Transport that he was no longer permitted to drive on campus. The company offered him an alternative route, which he declined, resulting in his termination. During an interview with Luxury Transport, Harrison reiterated that the flagger "loved" his comment and insisted there was nothing wrong with it. He also stated, "this was not Russia" and asserted his right to free speech.

In his termination letter, Luxury Transport expressed concern that Harrison did not recognize the negative impact of his comments, which led to the complaint. Harrison later claimed that SFU violated his privacy by not allowing him to provide his account of the events before contacting his employer. He submitted a request to SFU for all documents related to the complaint but received heavily redacted pages.

Luxury Transport contended that Harrison failed to uphold his professional responsibilities and breached his contract by filing a complaint against SFU. Harrison subsequently filed multiple complaints in court against Luxury Transport, SFU, and the privacy commissioner, seeking a judicial review of the commissioner's decision.

He alleged that SFU provided false information to his employer by not consulting him before reporting the incident. However, the commissioner found that SFU had made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information collected. The judge dismissed Harrison's case, stating that he had introduced new complaints that had not been previously considered, and ordered him to pay special costs to Luxury Transport.